Originally established in 1997 as the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center, the center was initially formed to serve as a permanent memorial to the victims and survivors of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, conducted between 1932 and 1972.
Remaining survivors, including Mr. Herman Shaw, were present at the White House on May 16, 1997, when President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology on behalf of the United States Government for the wrongs done by the study.
Mr. Shaw and the survivors’ lawyer, Fred D. Gray, spearheaded efforts to create a memorial that also encompasses the rich history of the entire community. Under this new vision, there would also be recognition of the three cultural groups that have contributed to the shaping and reshaping of Macon County – Native Americans, European Americans, and African Americans.
Over the past decades as the History Center has grown, it has added educational programs, workshops and activities, including temporary museum exhibits ranging from traveling Smithsonian exhibitions, to a locally produced Tuskegee Airmen Art showcase of national and international artists. Part of the U.S. Civil Rights History Trail, its programs have attracted the attention of individuals and groups from all over Alabama, America, and the world.
